The present invention relates to packaging machines, such as the packaging machines described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,917. The machine disclosed in this particular USA patent has cooperating stripper bars which remove product from the "seal area" and strip the packaging material in order to reduce the volume occupied by the product being packaged. Also closer bars are employed so that there is a length of package within which there is no product, and which is engaged by the sealing jaws. The stripper bars are mounted on rotatably driven arms, with the arms rotating in opposite directions about parallel transversely spaced axes. Both arms rotate "continuously" in their respective angular directions.
The above discussed stripper bars move along the bag material to remove any product which may be located in the area to be engaged by the sealing jaws. However it is a disadvantage of the stripper bars that there is extending from them flanges which engage the bag material to ensure that apart from the stripped length of bag material, the bag material does not engage the sealing jaws. These previously known stripper bars and associated shields or flanges suffer the disadvantage that they further reduce the volume available for the product.